It is our pleasure and honor to nominate Clint Kinney (class of 1998) for this distinguished award. Clint currently serves as the Town Manager of Snowmass Village, Colorado where he has been since 2014; prior to that he was the City Manager of Fruita, Colorado since July 2002. Clint has dedicated his entire career to public service; he stands tall amongst colleagues, employees, and friends as a shining example of what it means to be a public servant.

All communities have been faced with record inflation, staff shortages, and other post-COVID challenges; Clint has navigated these challenges with professional poise and joy. He has kept the fun in Town Hall and local government; he is a beacon in the profession that many aspire to or rely upon. He takes initiative to regularly convene the local city/county managers, bringing together rural managers that benefit from the sense of connection and importance of working together. In these settings Clink knows when someone could use an extra joke or, more seriously, a pep talk about delivering democracy at the local level.

Thanks to his leadership, Snowmass Village is now leading the way for innovative solutions to affordable housing, staff recruitment and retention, community policing, and public private partnerships. A lot of these areas have brought their fair share of controversy and debate to the dais of the Town Council and local daily newspapers, but Clint's dedication to the ideals of the profession, ICMA code of ethics, unwavering integrity, and overall leadership has skillfully guided the Town towards success. This was all done while the Town experienced a high degree of turnover at several high-level leadership positions, which left Clint to pick up the slack; he has done so with his characteristic humor and grace.

Clint consistently demonstrates service to the profession and commitment to the next generation. He helped develop the University of Colorado’s Certified Public Manager’s Program, and has taught courses in the program since its inception, helping dozens of students obtain their Public Manager certification. Over the years, he has taught hundreds, perhaps thousands, of students the fundamentals of professional local governance. He is a mentor, leader, and coach for numerous public administrators and local government professionals. This was more evident than ever in 2022 as he coached and mentored a new first-time manager, hired a new Assistant Manager, and helped mentor several other members as they considered first time manager positions.

Clint ushered in the successful completion of numerous milestones of the long awaited and controversial Base Village development project, including the conveyance and dedication of a ~10,000 sq. ft. community center and event space that was dedicated to the Town by the developer – now known as “the Collective.” In 2022 alone, the Collective hosted over 200 community events in the heart of the Town, which were successfully marketed and produced in partnership with the Town. The Collective has successfully brought new vitality and merged the local community with the out-of-town tourist in the heart of the community. This wouldn't have been possible without Clint's vision, leadership, and persistence.

While most communities are outspoken about housing shortages and challenges, the Town of Snowmass Village has been developing solutions. By taking matters into their own hands, the Town now owns and manages about 500 units of deed-restricted workforce housing, representing about half of all of the year-round homes in this mountain village. In 2019, the Town developed an ambitious plan to add more than 200 units by a combination of acquisition, conversion, new development and requiring local business to meet the housing needs of at least 60% of their employees. Instead of waiting for the private sector to solve the housing crisis, the Town is currently working to develop an 80-unit rental housing complex right in the center of the Village, complete with great views and access to all local amenities.

In 2019 the Town acquired a private market apartment building (locally known as the “green ghetto”) to preserve and upgrade the property. In 2020, the Town developed, financed and sold 15 high quality deed restricted single-family homes to local households. More recently, the Town acquired a former deteriorated slope side hotel and converted it to 40 year-round efficiency apartments for local workers. The local school district is partnering with the Town to preserve affordability of an 18-unit market rental property. The Town is also currently considering allowing accessory apartments in exchange for a deed restriction and is looking to fund a new program to “buy-down” the price of local real estate to make it more attainable to workers. In short, there is little the Town won’t consider to meet the housing needs of the community for generations to come. Clint’s steadfast leadership and excellence has been critical to making this happen for the Town.

Clint’s commitment to recruiting and retaining a talented workforce was evidenced in 2022 by making changes to the employee handbook that addressed suggestions made by the Town’s Employee Committee, adding an additional holiday for 2023, and completing a market study for employee pay and benefits. He has been an advocate for competitive wages and benefits for his employees and taken aggressive steps, in concert with the Town Council, to implement enhancements while teaching the meaning of a public servant’s heart in every decision.

There is no one more deserving of the Edwin O. Stene Award for Managerial Excellence Award than Clint Kinney. He embodies the best traits of this profession throughout all his work. Despite the challenges of the past few years, Clint has been steadfast in his commitment to public service and exceptional professional management. His compassion for colleagues, dedication to public service, and enthusiasm for life is constantly on display. We wholeheartedly endorse Clint for this award and thank you for your consideration.